Calgary Stoney Trail [Ring Road]

[Blader]

^^^^
The ring road will make it easier for you, stealing traffic from your preferred routes. I share your concern regarding sprawl and I hope that the spirit of plan-it will make a difference. Still, it's just a hope.

[Oliver Klozov]

As someone from west of Calgary who travels a lot to the north, east and south of Calgary, I will use it a lot for sure. Trips to the north up Hwy 2, it's a no-brainer but I will also use it rather than 16th for destinations east except maybe late at night. It will easily be faster and far less frustrating, especially once Crowchild and Nose Hill are done.

These roads do make a difference. Trips to Okotoks used to be via Bragg Creek. Now that the Deerfoot extension and the work on Glenmore are done, it's faster to use Hwy 8, Glenmore, Deerfoot any time except rush hour. The return trip isn't as good because NB Deerfoot to WB Glenmore is still painful.

[Wentworth]

Originally Posted by SubwayRev

Don't get me wrong, I think it'll be used. I just don't think it will be used very heavily. I just don't see where people would be coming from or going to on Stoney Trail. Looking at it on Google Maps, I can see how isolated most of the road is.

@ Wentworth...I live in the same area, but I don't see Stoney Trail being the answer to any of those destinations from the West side. If I was going to Beacon Hill, which I don't know why I would as everything that is there is available closer to home, I'd take Crowchild to Sarcee to Becaon Hill, not Stoney. If I was going to the airport, I'd take Memorial, to Deerfoot to Airport Trail. If I was going to Mallzac, I'd do the same thing, but continue on Deerfoot to HWY 566. Stoney just adds so much more distance, without really cutting any time.

Stoney isn't replacing 16th, as there are already so many faster routes. I just don't think this road will be served by many people. Sure, it's convienent for the few people who live near it, but I don't know where they'd take it to. The airport maybe, but it really isn't that convenient for getting to the airport, as you need to take Deerfoot anyway. As for the industrial parks...the vast majority of them are south of Pegan. From there, it's much closer to take Deerfoot to get...anywhere.

In time, I guess, when the city builds out further, the road will be more useful, but I don't see it right now. Which brings up the fact that this road will only contribute to the further sprawl in our city, as it has made it easier to navigate the frignes, while doing nothing to aide the centre.

Regarding West Springs / Cougar Ridge, part of my calculation of which route I take depends on whether I can cut through COP, which is possible on Sundays (and sometimes other times). Assuming the ability to cut through, the distances are much shorter to take Stoney.

To Beacon Hill: 18 Km on COP-Stoney vs. 28 Km via Bow/Crowchild. (The Heritage Costco is approx. 20 Km.)

To The Airport: 30Km on COP-Stoney-Country Hills vs. 35 on Bow-16th-Deerfoot.

These distances are from Cougar Ridge. I'm using Country Hills in these routes as the Ring Road isn't on Google Maps yet. The light traffic makes Stoney the clear winner.

As for sprawl, my concern is that this could promote sprawl outside of city limits. Mallzac is the first example of this.

[YYCguys]

Living in Airdrie, I used to travel regularly to Royal Oak. Before Stoney Trail NW opened, I used RR 13 to Hwy 566 to MountainView Rd to Simon's Valley Rd to 144th Ave to 85th St. Only the Hwy 566 section of that was 100 km/hr. The trip took me about 25-30 mins door to door. The Stoney Trail route cut it down to about 20 minutes door to door. It only saved about 5 minutes, but the stress was much less. I do find now that the intersection of RR13 at Hwy 566 is much more congested with the opening of Stoney Trail! A traffic light might be warranted there sooner rather than later, which would be really wierd considering Hwy 566 is at 100 km/hr through that section!

[Danma]

I've already been using the ring road... I live in Coventry Hills and when I visit friends in West Hills it's far, far faster to take Stoney -- I cut the trip from 40 to 24 minutes since it opened. We also use it to get to the Beacon Hill shopping area (Costco et al) and also to the Northwest. We may use it now to get to Mallzac, although the side roads work pretty well.

I'm really hoping this takes pressure off of Country Hills because it's been a mess with crosstown travelers especially at peak hours...

[bookermorgan]

I shot this at around 5:30pm on my 3g iphone, which doesnt technically shoot video...starts off at deerfoot and goes to centre

http://qik.com/video/3417922

[Stang]

As I live in the NW and I typically either travel W or N to leave the city, I am obviously excited about the Harvest Hills to Deerfoot section the most.

That being said, the occasional trip to the NE or E are doing to be greatly improved, even if I'm not far enough out to use the ring road. By moving a lot of the trucks and E-W through traffic off of 16th Ave will actually make 16th Ave more appealing as an "inner" cross-town route - something that this city needs.

I'll be honest, if I was passing through Calgary E-W during peak times, I'd definitely take the longer (distance-wise) but more free slowing route around the North of the city, and I think that many others will too.

[mersar]

Has anyone noticed any signage they may have put up on 16th ave on either side of the city, specifically if they've put up any signs indicating that Stoney is a bypass route? I was going to come in on 16th this morning but I was running late but I am curious if they have. Though they also still have a few signs along the existing NW portion that need to be removed, specifically the "Truck traffic use Beddington and Country Hills to access Highway 2" signs that were still there last night.

[Oliver Klozov]

Three or four times a year I travel Canmore - St. Albert. That trip via Hwy 1 to Morley, over to 1A to Cochrane, Hwy 22 to 567 to Airdrie, Hwy 2 to Whitemud to 170th Street to St Albert was always 4+ hours. No other route was faster, I tried them all.

Once SW Anthony Henday opened up, that was reduced to just over 3.5 hours a couple of times. As traffic grew on Henday, the lights at Lessard, Collingwood and Stony Plain Road had a much bigger effect and the time is back up to near 4 hours. I've done it once since Stoney opened to Harvest Hills, using RR13 and 566. It is way faster than 22/567 to Airdrie and dropped the time by 10-15 minutes.

Once all the lights are removed on Stoney and Henday, I can leave Canmore and the first set of traffic lights I will hit will be at Mark Messier Trail (St Albert Tr). I figure that even in heavy traffic that will be 3.5 hours tops. And for a bonus, I will probably use ~15% less fuel!!!!

[Oliver Klozov]

Originally Posted by mersar

Has anyone noticed any signage they may have put up on 16th ave on either side of the city, specifically if they've put up any signs indicating that Stoney is a bypass route?

Coming from the west, no not really. There's just the sign designating Stoney as Hwy 201 but nothing that says bypass or signs like you see approaching Deerfoot that say Red Deer, etc.

[Stang]

Originally Posted by mersar

Has anyone noticed any signage they may have put up on 16th ave on either side of the city, specifically if they've put up any signs indicating that Stoney is a bypass route? I was going to come in on 16th this morning but I was running late but I am curious if they have. Though they also still have a few signs along the existing NW portion that need to be removed, specifically the "Truck traffic use Beddington and Country Hills to access Highway 2" signs that were still there last night.

That would be a good idea to help route people around the city. Until GPS units have the updated maps (this will be years away probably), a lot of people visiting won't know that Stoney is a viable option.

They'll probably pass it on one side and say "I wonder if I can go that way" and then pass it again on the other side and realize that they could have.

Hopefully some big signs go up and coax some of that through traffic around the outside.

[SubwayRev]

I think the west section will be used far, far more than the east. Looking at Google maps, you can see just how isolated the East section is. It isn't near anything.




But I still believe that this road will be very underused for quite some time, which is fine...it may be the first road in Calgary to be built before it's needed instead of 20 years after its needed.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by mersar

Has anyone noticed any signage they may have put up on 16th ave on either side of the city, specifically if they've put up any signs indicating that Stoney is a bypass route? I was going to come in on 16th this morning but I was running late but I am curious if they have. Though they also still have a few signs along the existing NW portion that need to be removed, specifically the "Truck traffic use Beddington and Country Hills to access Highway 2" signs that were still there last night.

It was in the original functional plans to include more direction for out of town travelers, but the reason you won't see any (yet*) is because it's a ring road, not a bypass. Because of this, there won't technically be any final destination from driving on Stoney Trail when it's completed. You could theoretically drive it forever without arriving anywhere. The only times you'll see destinations listed is on Stoney Trail itself when approacing other Freeways (ie. 16th Ave West or East, Deerfoot North or South).

*I add the star because I personally think that Alberta Transportation will change their mind and add some kind of signage in the future. All else I can tell you is that we were instructed to remove signs on SB Deerfoot that explained to use 201 East for Medicine Hat and 201 West for Banff, with a similar case on 16th Avenue NE. The explanation above was the reason given.


Subwayrev: There's a ton of development along Country Hills that is there RIGHT NOW and not on Google Maps. Trust me, the road is going to be used soon. They planned it with the monster development going in the NE. Take a look at Street View as far as it allows on Country Hills and you'll see a ton of houses that aren't on the Aerial Photo, plus now there's even more new development going on there.

Plus...what's wrong with finally building ahead of the growth? We know it's going there regardless, might as well be ready.

[Stang]

Hopefully the radio traffic reports are able to wrap their heads around the fact that Stoney and 16th Avenue have two major intersections on opposite sides of the city.

I wonder if we'll ever do what they do in the UK and the M25 (London orbital) and refer to the directions as clockwise and counter-clockwise. Northbound/Eastbound/etc. doesn't work as well on a circular road.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves - we don't even have half of a circle yet.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by SubwayRev

I think the west section will be used far, far more than the east. Looking at Google maps, you can see just how isolated the East section is. It isn't near anything.

Errr.. you chose to pick the only part of it that's not immediately next to anything.

From CHB all the way down to 17th Ave SE, solid development right up next to the ring road.

[Stang]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

*I add the star because I personally think that Alberta Transportation will change their mind and add some kind of signage in the future. All else I can tell you is that we were instructed to remove signs on SB Deerfoot that explained to use 201 East for Medicine Hat and 201 West for Banff, with a similar case on 16th Avenue NE. The explanation above was the reason given.

Although I can almost understand their reasoning, it would make sense to point people in the obvious directions. Sure - one day someone will be able to go around 3/4 of the city and exit to Medicine Hat, but it can't hurt to point them in the direction that sends them around 1/4 instead.

And, especially because the SW leg is going to be a little while yet (and with it our full "ring"), even some semi-temporary signs would probably be worth it.

[Wentworth]

^^^^^^ SubwayRev: In that photo, you can already see a new subdivision going in there.

[You Need A Thneed]

^Yup, a new subdivision (Skyview Ranch), probably more residential subdivisions soon (definitely in the next 5 years) plus new industrial subdivisions going in on both sides of Deerfoot north of country hills Blvd.

The way that photo is cut leaves out the power plant and the meat packing plant that are just to the North of the ring road.

There's plenty of stuff around there, and its going to be growing a lot in the next 5 years.

The thought that that stretch is going to be totally underused, is completely untrue.

[bigcanuck]

Originally Posted by Wentworth

Regarding West Springs / Cougar Ridge, part of my calculation of which route I take depends on whether I can cut through COP, which is possible on Sundays (and sometimes other times).

Seriously - I've lived in this area for 5 years and never knew you could cut through COP on Sundays. Are the booths simply not manned or is there a secret?

[Stang]

Originally Posted by bigcanuck

Seriously - I've lived in this area for 5 years and never knew you could cut through COP on Sundays. Are the booths simply not manned or is there a secret?

It's a bit of a gamble, especially if you come up from the bottom only to find the gate at the top locked. I have never seen anyone in the booths, to be honest, and more often than not, the gates are not locked.

I don't do this daily, but every couple of months I might try my luck.

Plus the road down beside the bobsled track is kind of fun.